Relieved fans push past labor strife, return to NHL in record numbers at rinks and in ratings

A fan holds a sign "We Missed You," in the second period of an NHL hockey game with the Washington Capitals against the Winnipeg Jets Tuesday, Jan. 22, 2013 in Washington. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon) (The Associated Press)

Buffalo Sabres salute their fans at center ice following a 5-2 victory over the Philadelphia Flyers during the season opener NHL hockey game in Buffalo, N.Y., Sunday, Jan. 20, 2013. (AP Photo/Gary Wiepert) (The Associated Press)

Vancouver Canucks' goalie Roberto Luongo (1) skates past a fan holding a sign during the pregame skate before playing the Anaheim Ducks in an NHL hockey season opener in Vancouver, British Columbia, Saturday, Jan. 19, 2013. (AP Photos/The Canadian Press, Darryl Dyck) (The Associated Press)

Chicago Blackhawks right wing Patrick Kane high-fives fans as he walks a red carpet introduction before their home opener NHL hockey game against the St. Louis Blues, Tuesday, Jan. 22, 2013, in Chicago. (AP Photo/Daily Herald, George LeClaire) MANDATORY CREDIT; MAGS OUT; TV OUT (The Associated Press)

New York Rangers players acknowledge fans before their home opener NHL hockey game at Madison Square Garden against the Pittsburgh Penguins in New York, Sunday, Jan. 20, 2013. The Penguins won 6-3. (AP Photo/Seth Wenig) (The Associated Press)

In Ohio, the Columbus Blue Jackets came on the ice for warmups wearing jerseys numbered 1 with "Thank You Fans" printed where the player's name is. The jerseys were then given to fans.

In Philadelphia, a city that hasn't sniffed a Stanley Cup parade since 1975, a record 19,994 fans showed up for the season opener against Pittsburgh. That came on the heels of more than 2,000 fans at their practice facility for the first day of training camp and another 15,000 showed up for a free, open practice at the Wells Fargo Center.

Across the state in Pittsburgh, Consol Energy Center was packed during a free intrasquad exhibition last week, with a couple thousand fans turned away at the door. Just to make sure the fans will stay satiated — as if watching Sidney Crosby isn't enough — the Penguins are giving those in attendance during the first four home games vouchers for free food and dropping prices on team merchandise by 50 percent.

Yes, there's a good deal to be found in the NHL, and it's not just the collective bargaining agreement. It's slashed prices and freebies all offered to hockey-starved fans as a way of saying thanks for sticking by the sport over the 113-day lockout.

Crosby, the league's most famous player, wasn't surprised at how fans stuffed arenas around the NHL.

"I think it's great to see that we're still getting the turnout that we're getting," he said.

Can't get a ticket? No worries. There's always the comfort of watching on the big screen TV. While the NHL will never attract the oversized ratings of the NFL or other marquee sports, the numbers from the first few days of action show fans will plop down on the sofa and watch on high definition just as much as from high in the upper deck.

NBC's broadcast Saturday earned the league's most-watched game for a non-Winter Classic in 14 years. Regional coverage of the Chicago Blackhawks at defending champion Los Angeles Kings; and the Pittsburgh Penguins victory over the Philadelphia Flyers was watched by 2.77 million viewers.